What Are the Conditions of a Valid Marriage Contract?
The consent of both parties, a wali for the bride on the majority view, two witnesses, and a mahr. The offer and acceptance must be clear and in the same sitting.
This comes up often enough that it is worth setting out the evidence rather than only the conclusion.
The evidence
The Prophet ﷺ said there is no marriage without a guardian (Sunan Abi Dawud 2085); the Hanafis permit an adult woman to contract her own marriage while still considering the wali’s involvement preferable.
A previously married woman’s explicit consent is required and a virgin’s permission must be sought, with her silence counted as consent (Sahih al-Bukhari 5136).
The mahr is the bride’s right and her property; there is no minimum in the majority view, and the Prophet ﷺ once approved a marriage for a mahr of teaching the Quran.
In practice
- Document the contract; the fiqh conditions and the legal registration are different requirements and you need both.
- The mahr belongs to her, not to her family.
- Forced marriage invalidates consent, which is a condition — the Prophet ﷺ annulled such a marriage on the woman’s request.
Knowledge that is not acted on has a name in the tradition, and it is not a flattering one. Pick the smallest applicable step.
Go deeper. Thousands of answers, searchable by topic and reviewed before publication, are at Islamic Q&A — qa.hisnulmuslimapp.com.
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Is It Permissible to Delay Having Children?
Yes. Temporary contraception by mutual agreement is permitted by the majority, based on the Companions practising ‘azl during the Prophet’s ﷺ lifetime without prohibition. Permanent sterilisation without medical need is a different matter and generally prohibited.
Can a Woman Refuse a Marriage Proposal Chosen by Her Family?
Yes, absolutely. Her consent is a condition of validity, and the Prophet ﷺ annulled a marriage contracted against a woman’s will when she brought the matter to him.
What Are the Rights of a Wife Over Her Husband?
Maintenance according to his means, kind treatment, fair division of time in polygamous marriages, her mahr in full, and that he not harm her — with excellence, not mere adequacy, as the standard.
What Are the Rights of a Husband Over His Wife?
Cooperation in the marriage, guarding his property and honour in his absence, not admitting into the home those he dislikes without reason, and responding to him within the bounds of health and ability.